Built in 1912, the historic Stefani Building in Downtown Merced has housed a spectrum of small businesses, offices, and commercial spaces over the past century.
Through its many phases and changes, the building at 1729 –1733 Canal Street has remained part of downtown Merced’s history and its lively, bustling atmosphere. Alongside that history, paranormal rumors have circulated for years, with locals sharing stories of strange occurrences and unexplainable coincidences through online posts and word of mouth.
Now, a local-led interactive paranormal investigation invites participants to explore the vacant top floor of the Stefani building in hopes of experiencing some of downtown Merced’s rumored paranormal activity. Sarah Macias of Merced’s Abracadabra leads the tour alongside her partner, Chris Reding, who comes equipped with investigation equipment.
“I have never had anything too weird happen, but too many things have connected for me to just pass it off,” Macias shared right before the first paranormal tour of the season began.
“Coincidence? Maybe once when one thing first happened, but not after so many experiences over the years.”
Her experiences include videos of glowing orbs and recordings of voices in vacant rooms, among other details shared on the tour. Macias has been an occupant of the building since 2020 and considers herself an unofficial caretaker and occasional historian of the building.
“There’s just something about this spot that I have grown so protective over,” she said. “It’s very sentimental to me.”
The building has a rich history. With a mix of retail and commercial space, the building was historically built and utilized by the Garibaldi’s, a prominent Italian immigrant family whose members included well-recognized capitalists and public servants in Merced and throughout California.
In 1940, Joseph “Papa Joe” Stefani of Stefani’s Sport Shop moved in and remained in the building until the late 1980s. Since then, the building has continued to house various occupants, including businesses and organizations on its lesser-known labyrinth of office spaces upstairs on the top, third floor.
Now vacant, the hallways sit empty, and the lights are shut off. No airflow enters the building as the windows have been bricked and boarded shut.
Armed with an EMF reader (electromagnetic field meter), Macias leads participants through the hallways, sharing stories of her building experiences and guiding you through left-behind belongings.
Halfway through the tour, the group gathers at the highest activity point on the third floor. Here, two sound devices are set up, and other energy devices are used to try and capture a change in energy.
During the tour, there were moments that were difficult to explain. As for the details, you will just have to take the tour to experience the atmosphere firsthand.
“It’s a mystery,” Macias shared of the unexplainable. “Whether it’s a ghost … I don’t know. I’ve never seen a full-bodied anything, but I’ve had people come through here and say, I saw something upstairs, or I felt something. Lots of people feel some things, and lots of people tell me experiences they’ve had here. All I can do is chalk it up to another entry in the Stephanie building.”
There are two upcoming paranormal tours planned on Friday, Oct. 30, and next month’s Friday the 13th, Nov. 13th. Tickets are limited as each group is small to ensure a thorough and authentic investigation. The investigation costs $25 per person and is conducted from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
You can purchase tickets by messaging Macias through Instagram or Facebook @xx._abracadabra_.xx.